Harborside Health Center, billed as one of the world’s largest medical marijuana storefronts, is fighting for its life in an effort to try and stay open. While the city of Oakland, fights a government effort to shut down or seize the property that Harborside pays homage to, the dispensary is trying to stay open while the Californian city continues its efforts to stop the government from forcibly closing its doors.

For quite some time now there has been a tug-of-war in the state of California between federal and local authorities over marijuana sold strictly for purported medical reasons. While California remains the clear-cut “Wild West” of the medical marijuana industry, the federal government has not simmered down any intentions to stop the “regulation” of the Left Coast. Under currently federal law, marijuana or cannabis, is considered a Schedule I narcotic and has absolutely no considered medicinal properties.

Back in February, Magistrate Maria-Elena James ruled that the city of Oakland had no right to intervene in a federal prosecutor’s civil-forfeiture action against Harborside Health Center. Magistrate James is the same judge who ruled on Wednesday that the medical marijuana dispensary may be able to keep its doors open. As many of you know, Harborside Health Center is the premier medical marijuana dispensary that was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Weed Wars.”

The city of Oakland naturally appealed the ruling, and Magistrate James’ latest order allows Harborside Health Center to continue to sell medical marijuana to individuals who have been issued and regularly-carry a doctor’s medical marijuana recommendation while the appeal is under review. Magistrate James called the question of Oakland’s legal standing in the case “a matter of significant public interest.”